St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-07-07
The Pathetic Story Of a Woman Who
Found SurGease Of Sorrow in
Self-Slaughter.
She Linked Her Life's Fortunes With
Those of a Man Who Was Not
Her Husband,
And Was Abandoned By Her Seducer
After the Birth and Death
Of Her Baby.
Without Money or Friends, She Took
Final Appeal to the Judge
of ALI Mankind.
Special to the Globe.

Special tO tlle GlODe.
CHICAGO, July 6.-Shirley A. Grove.
whose battle with life has been strange
one, committed suicide July 4, in the
Nee Ban building ON Jackson and State
streets. From evidence found tonight
by a GLOBE reporter it seems that the
unfortunate woman has been sinned
against more than SHINING. She has
left the following letter, which is truly
pathetic:
My Only Friend DR.. Mum: I have tried
to live, tried to rise above my disgrace and
trouble but l find my strength fails and
take my life with my own hands, knowing
full well
JUST WHAT AN DOING.
Mine is only one of the many unfortunate,
sad-fated loves. had rather die and meet
the anger of the austere God than live in the
agony which hourly surrounded me. l am
miserable woman. My life tor the past year,
1SS6-'S7, has been truly an unhappy one.
In November, 1885, found lover in the
person of w. G. PoindeXter He professed
TO love me devotedly, and | learned to love,
to adore, to worship him. | can truly, hon
estly say loved him as well as though had
been his wife. He came to my home and
shared it with me. We were happy for sew
eral months, until pretended friends of his
aroused his jealousy and suspicion. Then
commenced my unhappy life. l have loved,
suffered, and God only knows
THE AGONY
through which have passed since then. In
all my trouble, God being my witness, can
truthfully say have acted the woman's and
the mothers part. You have known me since
my darling babe was sick. My fe has been
an open page to you. AS it has been in this
length of time, so it has always been. He left
me with my babe in my arms, and of the
treatment received cannot write only this
Never allow any one to say | was a bad
woman. / committed an objectionable sin
in living with him not married, but | eX-
pected some day to be his wife. He so
assured me, and only with that assurance did
/ do this. He has wrongfully treated me, but
| love him with my whole life and without
him life is miserable. He Gespised me and
will, without doubt not hesitate to try to dis
honor me, but you can rest assured in your,
own mind that it is false statement If it
casts any reproach on me. When my babe
was only 10 days old and crazed
WITH TERROR AND FEAE
I stood by my little darling and battled for
its life. as you well know. DR.. Mum, have
tried SO hard to live and drown my trouble
and try to be q good true woman, but am
weak and nervous, and yesterday when
they carried out little babe dead that
brought up my sad life again, and all day to-
day have struggled to put it down, but
can't. l fully decided it is best to die. This
do for me first of all-testify L died from.
taking laudanum. Then bury me in the
same grave with my babe, or have it buried
again in my grave. have no money, SO you
must sell the following articles and bury me
decently with the price they bring, but underi
no circumstances nor for any appeal from my
mother or brother allow my body to be takeni
out to be buried. have disgraced them audi
l want to be buried far from where any one
can see my grave that has known me IN my
pure life. Bury me in Graceland
WITH MY EABE.
These are the articles you must sell to bury,
me with: My watch, pin, opera glass and
satchel at No. III Lincoln avenue, No.
Wheeler e. Wilson sewing machine at the
rooms on Wabash avenue and mirror at
Mr.. Leightons, 2S3 State street. These
ought to permit me decent burial Let no
facts be published unless others try to dis
honor me. Then you are to protect me with;
this. / want you to be my TREND
in death as you have been throughout life. L
leave you the address of my sister. with whom
my mother lives. Mrs Jerome Willard, Lawn.
ridge, Marshall county; Ill. Ny oldest
brother, John A. Grove, lives at Ford, Glib
son county, Ill. These are all that needi
know of my sad ending and the disgrace OF
my life. Plead with them to be mercifnl
with me, Il sinner, but remember not TO
allow them to put me anywhere but beside or
with my babe i'll Graceland. have nothing,
dear doctor, to leave you but my last rare
well charge. have learned to love you I'
am in death your very dearest friend. In
the disposal of my body do as have asked
you TO do. l leave all to you, knowing Well
you will
DEFEND MY CAUSE
and carry out my wish and bury me with my
babe. go to God loving the man who has
ruined my life. I have prayed cried and
begged of him to help me live, to not drag
me down but all in vain. He may live. to
bring to dishonor others yet. but l pray the
great God forbid any other woman suffering
as have from his hands. o, how l have
struggled to live, but go to God. Farewell,
dear friend. l can leave 10 message to those
] disgraced but this: If all was known they
could not judge harshly. Pity my sin and
bury me beside my baby. A long farewell,
forever God grant me pardon for this sin.
SHIRLEY A. GROVE.
A grave has been already dug for the
frail being and tomorrow night the
newly-made sod in Graceland cemetery
will cover from the sight of mortals one
who trusted man and found him want
inc